Business Secretary Greg Clark recently co-chaired a meeting of UK business and manufacturing leaders to discuss how the UK manufacturing industry can be transformed through industrial digital technology (IDT).

Co-chaired by Siemens CEO Juergen Maier, the Made Smarter Commission — comprising eight women and eight men from some of the world’s leading businesses, trade bodies and unions — discussed how the manufacturing industry can be transformed by new techniques such as 3-D printing, simulation testing and other innovative uses of IDT; it also discussed the need for stronger and more ambitious leadership.

Mr Clark said: “There is a lot of incredible work being done in digitising the manufacturing industry, and it is work we want to share throughout the sector.

“Everyone around the table has contributed to the Government’s Industrial Strategy, and I believe we are living in one of the most exciting times since the first Industrial Revolution.

“Everything from agriculture to retail is being transformed, and if we get this right, workers will benefit as much as investors.”

The Commission was formed following the launch of the Made Smarter Review, which brought together input and recommendations from over 200 ‘stakeholders’, including companies such as Rolls-Royce, GKN, IBM, and Accenture, as well as SMEs and academic institutions.

Mr Maier said: “We are trying to put Britain much more on the map to help British manufacturing thrive and be more
productive.

“One of the major points that came out of the Review was the pace at which technology is adopted, and we know that is vital. Another was the importance of leadership and ambition.

“We know that this has to come from a high-profile leadership group, and that is why we have created this Commission.”

The UK is one of the 10-largest manufacturing economies in the world and is the fourth-largest in the EU.

In 2017, its manufacturing GVA totalled £186 billion, supporting 2.7 million jobs (with estimates of 5 million across the whole manufacturing value chain) — and it still accounts for 48% of the UK’s total exports of goods and services.